I rather figured an "infestation" as such would be difficult to control with
re-release. They aren't just dumb animals. They can and do find their way
back if they like your place, and evidently, they do. I hope you find a
good solution. I know it is frustrating.
Blessings,
Bonnie (SW OH - zone 5)
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [mailto:owner-gardenchat@hort.net] On Behalf
Of Johnson Cyndi D Civ 95 CG/SCSRT
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 11:28 AM
To: 'gardenchat@hort.net'
Subject: RE: [CHAT] So much to do etc
Hmmm, interesting. Not sure if it's practical in the area I'd want to
protect...don't see any way to avoid crossing the gates, and we go in and
out through there all the time. We're pretty good at setting up hot wire
though, the fence around the main backyard has hot wire in front of it
thanks to our enthusiastic digging Labrador.
I'll mention it to husband, he's an engineer, he might like to play with it.
Right now we use the macabee traps for the gophers, and a live trap for the
squirrels - then he, umm, dispatches them. Relocating isn't real practical.
Funny hot wire story: long time ago, I had a much smaller garden that was
more in the middle of the yard, it wasn't fenced off or anything so we ran a
hotwire around it to keep the dog out. One day I stepped over the wire and
suddenly found myself on the ground flailing around. I'd caught the wire
between my foot and my sandal, and it was stuck there for what must have
been a good 10 seconds until I thrashed enough to get it loose. It's a
pretty small charge so I wasn't in danger, but not something I want to
repeat.
Cyndi
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [mailto:owner-gardenchat@hort.net] On Behalf
Of james singer
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 2:38 AM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] So much to do etc
Cyndi, here's a post from another list re gopher/ground squirrel
problem--
I've tried electric fences before using a "small pet" transformer, and
that stopped the ground squirrels for a while -- then they started
just taking the shock and destroying things again.
So this year I covered the railroad ties that surround the garden with
wire mesh ("hardware cloth") so that any animals on them would have a
good "ground". Then using a "large animal" transformer I put plastic
insulators on top of the railroad ties and ran the wire about an inch
and a half over the tie.
So far I've actually killed every ground squirrel that has tried to
get into the garden -- with zero damage to any of the plants!
Of course I have forgotten that the electric fence is there and I've
shocked myself a number of times.
Richard Primbs
Encinitas CA
On May 9, 2006, at 1:52 PM, Johnson Cyndi D Civ 95 CG/SCSRT wrote:
> Good weather and gardening, what more can you ask?
> I meant to take pictures of the gardens this weekend but once again
> didn't
> get to it. It'll be in full bloom for a little while yet so there's
> still
> plenty of time.
> I did most of my activity in the vegetable garden, figured I would get
> on
> top of the weeds there while they are still small. So the onions, the
> lettuce, and the peas are all weeded and mulched. We are feeding our
> ewes
> oat hay instead of alfalfa to help dry up their milk, and they waste
> so much
> of it there's plenty of mulching material. The tomatoes look pretty
> nice,
> the soybeans and the corn are up, but the green beans I planted didn't
> sprout. Could be old seed...or maybe the ravens ate them all...I
> figured I'd
> replant and see if it works. It's very late to be doing that, green
> beans
> don't set real well in the kind of heat we get in the summer, but what
> the
> heck - I don't need many. And I direct seeded some eggplant and okra,
> pretty
> old packets though, we'll see what happens there too. Peppers are
> hardening
> off and will go in probably next weekend. One thing about cutting back
> this
> year is I didn't buy new seed, so I'm getting rid of all those old
> packets I
> was going to use "someday". Silly to keep old seed but I am a pack
> rat, no
> denying it. Now I can plant them with a clear conscience and I've even
> tossed those I know I won't use.
> We have gophers and ground squirrels galore. It's incredible, there
> can't be
> 10 sq ft anywhere without a gopher hole in it. My husband has about 10
> gopher traps set all over the place and as soon as he catches one and
> moves
> the trap to the next place, a new hole sprouts where he just was. And
> ground
> squirrels, we have not seen them in years but last night we saw two
> scampering in the vegetable garden. They do a lot of damage to my
> irrigation
> system, plants, and they dig big burrows. I hear they steal eggs from
> chickens too, but I've never seen that. Anyway we are trapping for
> them too.
> Sheesh!
> We bought a new ram lamb the other day, the girls need a boyfriend for
> next
> fall. Lots of pushing and shoving when you introduce a new member to
> the
> flock. Sometime during the night somebody busted through the gate into
> the
> veg garden. My husband shouted for me that morning and my heart just
> sank,
> but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. They had walked on
> everything but didn't eat much so there was surprisingly little damage
> considering. Talk about lucky.
> Out front the roses are blooming, not yet fully loaded but soon. The
> dutch
> iris and bearded iris look great. The hardy geraniums are the best
> I've ever
> seen them - maybe they really liked the wet/cool weather we had since
> February? I've got to get after the vinca though, it will smother
> them. I've
> moved a bunch of daylilies, I don't even know what colors they are so
> that
> will bear watching. The dry garden looks very nice indeed although I
> still
> have bare spots. It's harder now to plant in there, new natives want a
> season of almost regular water while the established ones will hate
> that.
> Going out there with a watering can is not real practical but it may
> be what
> I have to do. I have already lost a few of the new salvias to gophers,
> grrr,
> it's what I get for not taking the time to make the cages.
> But all in all, it's pretty good. Going to be about 90 today. Wish I
> were
> outside...
>
> Cyndi
>
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>
Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.0 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]
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